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The expectations for the follow-up project after the great success with the Life Is Strange series of the French developer studio Dontnod were high and at least partly justified, because if they can do one thing, they will tell stories and force players to make decisions, which will sometimes have devastating effects on the further course of the game. The rest of the game remains rather mediocre. The wooden graphics and the repetitive fighting actions, which are especially unpleasant for "boss opponents", the tubular level design and the especially in fighting situations with several opponents questionable camera work cloud the quite positive first impression of the game after a few hours of play. Vampyr doesn't reinvent the genre and also doesn't present anything that hasn't been seen in other RPGs before, yet it's one of the games that manages to cast a spell over you in spite of some flaws and especially grant you many nice hours of gameplay with some surprising twists in the story. At the next sale you could strike, but you don't have to.

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All in all, Alone in the Dark celebrates a positive resurrection with a new direction that I really like at its core! The dense atmosphere in combination with the staging, story and detailed world of a marvellous 1920s setting carried me through the title very well. The puzzle solving shines as a core gameplay element in the narrative-driven game, making Alone in the Dark a really competent video game, at least in these aspects. However, I have to grumble a little more about the combat. Spongy gunplay, a bitchy camera, a meagre variation of enemies, as well as a sometimes stupid AI spoil the fun of the game. This needs a comprehensive overhaul for a hopefully upcoming second part. Because the new edition is a really successful work in this series, which has recently been in crisis and has a really solid pillar in its story, presentation and puzzle solving, on which a rosy future can be built. However, developer studio Pieces Interactive should take another look at the battles, which fortunately make up a smaller part of the overall work, as their genre colleague Resident Evil has already demonstrated in the third-person spin-offs.

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True to the motto "better a good copy than a bad one", The Crew Motorfest wants to take on the big flagship that has been giving us the best open-world arcade racers for years. Will the throne be shaken? At least a little bit. Because the game world, presentation, visuals, sound and vehicles are quite convincing and make a lot of fun in places. The arcade handling is very solid. Thus, we get a game that I had more fun with than expected. However, the game doesn't manage to outdo the big idol in any point. It does everything that Forza Horizon does quite well, but never as well as the original. Whether handling, scope, track design. FH is somehow always a tire ahead. That's not a bad thing, though, because even those who don't own a PC or Xbox get a good alternative. However, those who can call the aforementioned systems their own will probably have little reason to get away from Forza. Motorfest doesn't offer enough of its own identity and doesn't quite manage to capitalize on its USP (boats & planes).

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Quantum Recharged basically can't do much wrong and comes across less cluttered than, say, a Geometry Wars. The fan community that still has enough reflexes to prove their skill, wants to invest a few hours in perfecting their combo moves and doesn't mind the squeaky color explosions will certainly get their money's worth. Everyone else will keep their hands off Quantum Charged, as expected.

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What Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is not is a video game with innovative game design or creative game elements. Instead, the title shines with a gripping story, great images, high-quality music and an interesting implementation of the Greek god mythology. So if you like to influence a beautiful story, create your own little musical, and are cool with experiencing a rather passive gaming experience as a text adventure, you won't go wrong here and will have a good time.

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It may sound paradoxical, almost gloating, but Gunfire Games enters a groundless, even illusory competition with Remnant 2, only to ultimately position itself in a niche where none of the industry giants want to position themselves. In doing so, the game skilfully balances between two genres, provides the necessary accessibility, builds up a long-term USP and thus rightfully ends up at the top of the Steam sales charts. With the focus on individualization and the resulting considerable replay value, the AA studio trivially succeeds in building a unique selling point that ultimately knows how to justify itself via its motivational effect. While the narrative loses a substantial arc of suspense at the expense of accessible triviality and you have to admit to some technical performance problems, Gunfire Games nevertheless manages to build up an extremely coherent, challenging co-op shooter that fights its way out of the stigma "insider tip" not least because of its genre mix. But even without this "puppy protection" in the midst of the current competitive situation, Remnant 2 shouldn't have to prove itself, because as we all know, there are no winners in the Cold War.

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Curse of the Sea Rats is a good game for those who want to get into the Metroidvania genre or don't have too high demands on the technical implementation. Veterans, on the other hand, might still lack the final touch, especially in direct comparison with the genre classics. Otherwise, Curse of the Sea Rats is quite entertaining with about 12 hours of gameplay and a detailed world.

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Crisis Core was undeniably a profitable handheld success on the PSP in 2008, and ironically still is despite an apparent platform switch. Outdated structures, vehement redundancy, fast-paced gameplay loop define the overall game design and clearly reveal the backward roots of the former mobile spin-off. Minimal innovations and quality-of-life adjustments break up the outmoded foundation again and again, though, and ultimately, thanks to well thought-out control options, tactical boss fights and the entertaining side missions, the result is a symbiotic structure between "PSP nostalgia" and the modern standard - without neglecting the player's basic motivational needs. Fresh textures and the emotional, albeit pathetic story basis do their part to once again cast a spell over especially long-established fans - newcomers, however, will have a much harder time with the partly regressive game concept. What ultimately remains, however, is a short-lived, no less entertaining remaster, which, despite all that, stands in highest discrepancy to the usage behavior of the stationary platform and only very sluggishly puts the adjustments to the latter into the hands of the players.

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Actually, there's not much left to say. You don't play House of Ashes because it looks good or because of its innovative game mechanics - you play it if you like well-paced stories with minimal self-involvement and a bit of horror (in the broadest sense). If you're looking for something between cinematic and classic gameplay principles and consider yourself a fan of the genre, the third chapter of Dark Pictures Anthology is worth checking out. Undecided fans of cultivated horror will probably not be completely convinced by the title, though, as there are still too many problems at once.

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Could the remaster of what is definitely, in my eyes, the best 3D Sonic live up to my expectations? Definitely. However, I didn't expect any quantum leaps either, but those who do might get a rude awakening. Sonic Colours Ultimate is a robust remaster with slight additions - nothing more, nothing less. If you liked the original and want to experience the whole thing again, you can grab it, and newcomers should also have fun with the port. However, those who have absolutely nothing to do with jump'n'runs or the relatively fast-paced Sonic gameplay won't get their money's worth with Sonic Colours Ultimate.

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NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... is a thoroughly solid remake of the 2011 insider tip, whose age is still clearly visible despite various cosmetic repairs: The look of the penultimate console generation still sticks to too many models, and the remake still nibbles too much at the long-winded pacing and the repetitive game design. Nevertheless, the dramatic and highly philosophical story behind this facade still knows how to entertain at the highest level even after more than a decade. The artful genre mix, the successful musical background and the self-referential humor hide some of the game's dry stretches. Although Replicant can't quite live up to the expectations Automata created with its successful concept, it still manages to create unique moments that make all the effort worthwhile.

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Little Nightmares II is an intense and atmospheric scary experience, which, however, is a bit weak on the gameplay side. The character and sound design are still excellently staged, the entertaining puzzles fit well into the minimalistic concept and the whimsical design fascinates from the first minute on. Nevertheless, the unintuitive and sluggish controls keep nibbling away at our frustration tolerance, and the trail & error concept unfortunately repeatedly pulls us out of the intense atmosphere. Like its predecessor, Little Nightmares II may not be a hardcore horror, but it is a likeable and entertaining thrill ride that will keep you entertained for a few hours.

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Hangar 13 has indisputably made Mafia Definitive Edition exactly the remake it had to be in order to entertain and at the same time not to disrespectfully alienate the clearly outdated original. The narrative approach is based on the right set screws, in order to bring the action adventure into the modern age. Thanks to the expanded character profiles, the successful voice recordings and the impressive visuals, the narrative gains additional emotionality and presents you with a rousing story-focused mafia adventure that is unlike any other. At the same time, the new edition has to struggle with the complex, limited game elements. Hakeliges Gunplay, the strongly linear level structures as well as the partly not flawless technical implementation show that Hangar 13 did not yet want to take the leap into modern times. Even though Mafia Definitive Edition never met the multi-layered shooter standard, the game with its consistent simplicity feels coherent enough to entertain during the almost 10-hour campaign. In combination with the difficult setting options, the remake is the perfect snack for the nostalgia-bright players and those who want to become one in the future.

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After years of hibernation, Sakura Wars finally returns to the scene and doesn't shy away from some fundamental changes. We still spend most of our time getting to know the new members of the new Flower Division, deepening our relationship with them, or even getting up close and personal with them. At the heart of Sakura Wars remains the compelling story of the Flower Division's rebuilding and return to its former glory. The plot consistently succeeds in the balancing act between funny anime humor and serious tones - a fact that is underlined by the successful staging and visuals. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks in terms of game mechanics, because the adventure as well as fight passages have to struggle with their monotony at regular intervals. Keyword fight: these say goodbye to their tactical roots and open the door for an action-oriented Musou approach. These battles know how to entertain over long distances, but are again and again slowed down by rough control and lack of variety. And yet: Sakura Wars knew how to lure me to the controller again and again with its charm and offers anime enthusiasts a sensitive story, which will captivate for a good 30 hours, if you can overlook some technical shortcomings.

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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is basically a successful Dungeon Crawler, with over 20 hours of campaigning and an almost endless list of side quests. Apart from the sluggish and sleepy start, Rescue Team DX knows how to motivate thanks to its charming presentation and addictive Pokemon mechanics. The Rogue-Lite with Pokemon label is a nice and not too demanding pastime, especially when you're on the go, and in times of budget smartphone games, it's a welcome change.

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I enjoyed the game very much and I am happy to have finished it. But I would not play it again. Not because the story didn't grab me, or because the above mentioned points would bother me too much. Rather because there are simply not, as for example in a "Life is Strange", different decisions to be made, which would dramatically affect the gaming experience. Furthermore, the player can neither find out more about the history of the game by exploring it, nor are there any collectibles. I think that's a pity. I had the feeling all along that the game was giving away a lot of potential. Still, if you're looking for a game with a gripping and exciting story, and that's the most important thing in the game to you, you'll have a lot of fun with 'The Suicide of Rachel Foster'. But be careful, the story may seem harmless at first, but can be very hard to digest. If you're having trouble with the general theme of the game, I recommend the same as the publisher: Don't play alone and get help.

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Obsidian Entertainment is making a flight of fancy with the role-playing game The Outer Worlds, which Bethesda was denied last year. Despite the strongly linear structures and the half-open, lifeless areas, The Outer Worlds indisputably follows in the big AAA footsteps of the Fallout franchise without embarrassing itself. Thanks to the great variance of decision possibilities and the deeply rooted moral system, the American studio also enhances the marginal complexity behind the role-playing construct, which above all benefits the narrative with its humorous touch and entertaining social criticism. Obsidian Entertainment simply relies on the player as an unforeseen variable to counter repetitive influences. With the versatile solutions and the opaque moral component, the Fallout New Vegas developer finally gives Bethesda instructions on how to pull up the controls of a crashing plane.

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Blacksad: Under the Skin is an exciting adventure game that will take you back to the 50s. Only in the technical implementation there are flaws that cloud the overall picture of the game. Apart from that, Blacksad entertains well and offers some entertaining hours, especially for fans of detective stories.

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Altogether The Surge 2 is a successful sequel, which not only reinterprets the usual Souls mechanics, but has completely developed its own gameplay mechanics and puts them in the foreground. It plays faster and more fluently than its predecessor. The combat system is simply successful and is enormously fun with the wonderfully animated finish moves. Only the less impressive design of the bosses and thus also the boss fights lag behind those of the predecessor. The basic story of the game is very interesting and even has some social criticism traits. However, the plot quickly degenerates into a boring scavenger hunt. However, this doesn't harm the motivation to explore the interesting world, to find and level up Loot.

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Night Call feels like solving a puzzle without having seen the picture on the packaging. It therefore works best when you drive through the wet streets of Paris, throw yourself into the conversations and just let the case come to you. It turns out to be a dark secret who the killer is after all. One thing's for sure: the killer himself is the least interesting narrative element in the game.

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